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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Bestseller Code summary
Jodie Archer & Matthew L. Jockers
Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel
19 mins
Brief summary
The Bestseller Code by Jodie Archer and Matthew L. Jockers is a data-driven exploration of what makes a bestseller. It uncovers patterns and trends in successful books using predictive analytics, offering insights into the publishing industry.
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The Bestseller Code
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
Publishers find it difficult to predict a bestseller, as literary quality doesn’t seem to be the defining factor.
These days, the internet is chock-full of lists that rank the best and worst of just about anything you can imagine. Most of these lists tend to be rather arbitrary, but there are still a few reliable popularity rankings that continue to be checked on a regular basis.
Among these more reliable lists are those that record the best-selling books in the United States. And, for as long as such lists have been around, they’ve made clear that what’s popular isn’t the same as what’s critically acclaimed.
The first list of best-selling books was published in 1891 by The Bookman, a London literary magazine.
It didn’t take long for critics to point out that popularity had nothing to do with quality. In fact, good sales and bad writing seemed to go hand in hand.
This hasn’t changed at all. Critics continue to scratch their heads over the success of E. L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Stieg Larsson’s “girl trilogy,” which began with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Remarkably, Larsson wasn’t even around to help publicize his books, as he’d passed away before their publication. But that hindered their ascent to best-sellerdom as little as the critical assaults which pointed out their jumbled plots, limp characters and boring endings.
So it’s easy to predict that the best-seller list will be filled with poorly-written books. But since so many books are published each year, it becomes difficult to predict which ones will end up on that list.
According to Bowker, the US company that issues the ISBN identification numbers for books, around 50 thousand books of fiction are published every year – and this doesn’t include e-books, which don’t receive an ISBN.
From that amount, around 200 novels will make the New York Times (NYT) best-seller list each year, which is less than half of one percent of all the published books. And the percentage that manages to stay on the list for more than a week is even more miniscule.
This tiny percentage makes the job of predicting bestsellers a bit like guessing which numbers will win the lottery.
But that doesn’t mean these books don’t share similarities, which is what we’ll take a look at in the blinks ahead.
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What is The Bestseller Code about?
The Bestseller Code (2016) reveals the remarkable story behind a newly developed computer algorithm with the power to unlock the secrets behind the most popular best-selling books. By analyzing over a thousand bestsellers, patterns have emerged that show us which themes, plots, styles and characters contribute to earning a book a spot at the top of the charts.
The Bestseller Code Review
The Bestseller Code (2016) delves into the mysterious world of bestsellers and presents a fascinating analysis of what makes a book successful. Here are three reasons why this book is definitely worth reading:
- With its data-driven approach, the book offers unique insights into the hidden patterns and formulas that determine a book's popularity.
- The authors combine their expertise in literature and computer science to provide a comprehensive understanding of the elements that contribute to a bestselling book.
- By examining numerous examples, The Bestseller Code gets readers thinking about the intricate relationship between storytelling and reader preferences, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read.
Who should read The Bestseller Code?
- Readers wondering what makes a book popular
- Writers and authors looking for widespread success
- Computer geeks who love a good algorithm
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The Bestseller Code FAQs
What is the main message of The Bestseller Code?
The Bestseller Code explores the science behind what makes a book a bestseller.
How long does it take to read The Bestseller Code?
The reading time for The Bestseller Code varies, but the Blinkist summary can be read in just a few minutes.
Is The Bestseller Code a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Bestseller Code is a valuable read for book and data enthusiasts, providing insights into the inner workings of bestsellers.
Who is the author of The Bestseller Code?
The authors of The Bestseller Code are Jodie Archer and Matthew L. Jockers.
What to read after The Bestseller Code?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Bestseller Code, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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- The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams
- The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
- The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
- Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield
- Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
- The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking by Michael D. Watkins
- 30 Ways to Reboot Your Body by Ben Greenfield
- The Art of Clear Thinking by Hasard Lee
- Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom